1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector in a piping system and more particularly to a connector capable of reducing pulsation of fluid in conveying the fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a piping system for a fuel supply system of an automobile, a connector connects a hose for conveying pressurized fuel from a pump, and a fuel delivery pipe for delivering and distributing the fuel to a plurality of injectors. In such a piping system, fuel transfer is achieved by applying pressure to fuel in the hose by a pump so as to keep the pressure at a predetermined constant value. If injection apparatus such as injectors is opened or closed for fuel supply control while the piping system is placed under such a condition, pressure in the piping system changes and the fuel pulsates, as is well known. If the fuel pulsates, fuel pressure in the injection apparatus may become too high or too low and the amount of fuel to be injected by the injection apparatus may deviate from a desired amount.
Under these circumstances, a variety of techniques have been proposed to reduce pulsation. For example, in a connector mentioned in JP-A-2011-163154 (PTL 1), a cylinder is integrally formed with a housing of the connector and an O ring is provided on an outer circumferential portion of a piston so as to be in slidable contact with an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder. The piston and the O ring liquid-tightly divide a fuel chamber which communicates with a fuel passage and an air chamber which holds the air. When pressure variation is small at an initial stage of pulsation, this connector reduces the pressure variation by sliding resistance between the O ring and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder. When a pressure variation which cannot be reduced by the sliding resistance occurs, the pressure variation is reduced by the air in the air chamber.